Loose leaf binder



p 938. I e. s. EMERY 2,129,318

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Aug. 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet Sept. 6, 1938. G. s. EMERY I LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Aug. 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT orrice Application August 20,

3 Claims.

This invention is a loose leaf binder of the double post type, and its principal feature is that the effective length of the double post may be increased at will, and over quite a wide range, for holding a large or small number of sheets, as the case may be. By virtue of this arrangement, the leaf holding capacity of the binder or ledger may be increased as additional leaves are added. Although the binder can readily be built up to hold a stack of leaves six or eight or more inches thick, the leaves will always" lie flat when the ledger is open, a distinct improvement over the single post type where that part of the ledger sheet near the post is curved, and where entries near the binding edge may be more or less obscured.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a plurality of extension pins is provided, which pins may be attached to the two legs of the double post for increasing their effective length. One, two or more of these extension pins may be put in place on each leg of the post for increasing the height of the post to any desired point.

Another important feature of the invention is that the back of the binder, that hinged portion immediately adjacent the double posts, is made in sections which may be linked or hinged together so that the width of the back of the ledger or binder can be increased at will to correspond with the increase in height of the double posts.

In one aspect of the invention, one or more of these back sectionsmay be made hollow and may form a storage space for the extension pins.

Further details of the invention, and further advantages of construction and operation will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved binder or ledger;

Fig. 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale showing particularly the method of assembling the back of the ledger;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the binder;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of one of the double posts;

Fig. 5 is a view still further enlarged showing certain details of the double post;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of a detail;

Fig. 8 is a plan view on a reduced scale showing the manner of building up the back of the ledger; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modification of a back section.

Referring now to these drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, the right hand or bottom or base member of the ledger is shown at 2. This member may be rein- 1935, Serial No. 37,071

forced by a metallic insert 4 extending transversely thereof. This insert is provided with socketed members 6 and 'l, which are preferably internally threaded andwhich preferably project above the upper surface of the member 2, although, of course, they could be inset, if desired.

The double post for' holding the leaves comprises the arched member 8, on one end of which is a smooth cylindrical projection l6, reduced in diameter, and on the other end of which is a swiveled hollow sleeve l2 provided with a threaded projection I 4 also reduced in diameter. The swiveled connection comprises a reduced portion l6 carried by the leg of member 8, which portion I6 is provided with an annular groove lB into which a pin 20 fixed in the sleeve l2 loosely projects. The pin 20 and the walls of the groove I8 form interengaging shouldered projections, and form a swivel connection which permits rotary movement of the collar or sleeve l2 with respect to the arched member but prevents longitudinal movement of the collar with respect to said arched member. The exterior of the swiveled connection I2 is roughened, knurled or grooved for manipulation by the fingers, as shown for example, at 22 in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 3, the double post is completed by an extension piece 24, the lower end of which is threaded so as to go into the socket I, while the upper end is provided with a socket or recess 26. The other leg of member 8 is com pleted by an extension piece 28, the lower end of which is reduced and exteriorly threaded so as to engage in the socket 6, while the upper end is provided with an internally recessed socket 30.

With the extension pieces 24 and 28 in their respective sockets l and 6, the post is assembled by inserting the smooth extension IEI into socket 26 and then the swiveled collar I2 is turned so that threaded extension I4 engages with the threaded recess 38. Such an assembly is shown in Fig. 3 and will conveniently hold. say, a stack of ledger sheets about an inch thick.

In order to increase the effective length of the post, there is provided a plurality of extension pins 32 and 32, which are practically the same as extension pin 24, one end of each of which is provided with an interiorly threaded recess 320., while the other end is provided with an exteriorly threaded projection 32?). Such extension pins may conveniently be about an inch in length, although, of course, this is a matter of choice.

In order to increase the efiective leaf holding capacity of the ledger from that shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4, the swiveled collar i2 is turned and member 8 lifted away. Then the threaded end of an extension pin 32 is threaded into the recess 26 and a threaded end of another extension pin 32' is threaded into the socket 36. Then member 8 is replaced, as shown in Fig. 4,

the portion l0 sliding into the upper threaded recess 32a, while the portion I4 threadedly engages the upper recess 32a of 32. The eifective leaf holding capacity is thus increased, and in this case practically doubled. The leaf holding capacity of the ledger may be increased indefinitely simply by applying any desired number of extension pins 32 and 32. When the ledger is open, as shown in Fig. 3, the leaves lie flat, even though the stack of leaves carried may be six or eight inches thick.

The several extension pins 24, 28, 32, 32 and the sleeve l2 may be provided with wrench receiving holes 33, useful in case any of them should rust or otherwise become difficult to turn.

The member 4, Fig. 7, is provided with a plurality of lugs 40, which are bent on themselves to form eyes 42. The back of the ledger, shown at 44, is provided with a plurality of lugs 46 bent on themselves to form eyes like the eyes 42. Lugs and 46 are arranged in staggered relation as shown in Fig. 2 so that apin 48, as long as the ledger is wide, will pass through the lugs 40 and 46 when put in registry and so pivot them together.

The other edge of the back member 44 is provided with similar eyed lugs 46 and the cover member 58 of the ledger is provided with eyed lugs 40 corresponding to 40 so that pin 52 passing through the eyed lugs hingedly links the back and the cover 58 together. A number of back sections 44, of any suitable width, are provided so that when it is desired to increase the length of the back, to correspond with the increased height of the double posts, another section, shown in Fig. 8 at 4411, is inserted. Still other sections could be inserted, as desired.

The cover member 5&1 may be provided with sockets or recesses 52, so placed that the arched members 8 seat in these recesses when the ledger is closed, thereby decreasing the storage space required for the ledger.

As shown in Fig. 3, the back 44 of the ledger may be made hollow for providing storage space for any desired number of extension pins 32, suitable access being provided as by means of a door 53. This feature, however, may be omitted and the back made up of one or more sections 441) made of sheet material and provided with eyed lugs 46b like lugs 46 of Fig. 2.

It will thus be seen that according to this invention a ledger of the double post type is provided whereby the length of the post may be increased at will, and whereby the width of the back maybe increased at will, to correspond with the increased length of the double posts. The leaves always lie fiat, even though a very large number of leaves are in place in the ledger. If, for any reason, the leaves in a thick old ledger become obsolete, they can be destroyed and the double posts shortened to the minimum height, as shown in Fig. 3, for starting a new ledger, and this may be built up through the months and the years to keep pace with the increase in the number of sheets.

While the invention has been described in connection with a pair of double posts, it should, of course, be understood that any desired or suitable number of such posts could be used.

The term loose leaf binder of the double post type as used in the claims means that type having at least two such double posts, where the two posts or legs forming the double post are fairly close together and where the perforated sheets are normally threaded onto one leg of a post and may be lifted and turned over onto the other leg, as shown, for example, in the patents to Wright et a1. 1,691,537 dated Nov. 13, 1928 or Pott 1,638,878 dated Aug. 16, 1927.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in some detail, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to such described details, but may be carried out in other ways.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a loose leaf binder of the double-post type, in combination, a base, posts normally permanently secured to the base, the upper end of one ofsaid posts being threaded, an arched member, one leg of which is provided with a reduced portion, and a collar swiveled on said reduced portion, said swivel connection comprising interengaging shouldered elements carried by the arched member and said collar, said swivel connection permitting rotary movement of the collar with respect to the arched member but preventing longitudinal movement of the collar with respect to said arched member, said collar terminating at its lower end in a threaded member adapted to engage with said threaded upper part of one of said posts, the other leg of said arched member being provided with means for engagement with the upper part of the other post.

2. In a loose leaf binder of the double-post type, in combination, a base, posts normally permanently secured to the base, the upper end of one of said posts being threaded, an arched member, one leg of which is provided with a reduced portion and a collar swiveled on said reduced portion, said swivel connection comprising interengaging shouldered elements carried by the arched member and said collar, said swivel connection permitting rotary movement of the collar with respect to the arched member but preventing longitudinal movement of the collar with respect to said arched member, the exterior diameter of the collar being the same as the diameter of said arched member, said collar terminating at its lower end in a threaded member adapted to engage with said threaded upper end of one of said posts, the other leg of said arched member being provided with means for engagement with the upper part of the other post.

3. In a loose leaf binder of the double-post type, in combination, a base, posts normally permanently secured to the base, the upper ends of said posts being threaded, an arched member, one leg of which is provided with a reduced portion, a

collar swiveled on said reduced portion, said swivel connection comprising interengaging pin and groove means carried by the arched member and said collar, said swivel connection permitting rotary movement of the collar with respect to the arched member but preventing longitudinal movement of the collar with respect to said arched member, said collar terminating at its lower end in a threaded member adapted to engage with the upper threaded part of one of said posts, the other leg of said arched member being provided with means for engagement with the upper part of the other post, and a plurality of threaded extension pins adapted to engage, respectively, with said posts, with said swiveled collar and with the other end of said arched member.

GEORGE SUMMER EMERY. 

